Conduit-section for manhole-terminals.



No. 803,120. 4 PATENTBD OCT. 31, 1905. R. W. LYLE.

GONDUIT SECTION FOR MANHOLE TERMINALS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.13. 190s. RENEWED AUG. 4.1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT @FFICF.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 31, 1905.

Application filed January 13, 1903. Renewed August 4,1905. Serial No.272,798.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT W. LYLE, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York, in the county and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Conduit-Sections forManhole-Terminals, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention pertains to conduits in which certain sectionsspecifically designed as terminals have their ducts opening directlyinto the chambers of manholes. Where a plurality of cables or otherconductors are laid in a conduit which. has terminal sections of theforms hitherto commonly in use, and therefore not specifically adaptedto the purpose hereinafter related, great difficulty is experienced inproperly separating the cables or other conductors to a sufficientdistance to insure absolute freedom from contact one by another whenthey are flexed transversely of the ends of their containing-sections inorder to properly position themas, for instance, in a manhole-chamber.Such separation and consequent freedom from the possibility of contactone by another are nevertheless absolutely essential in order to avoidany possibility of establishing short circuits of the electric currentscarried by the cables, for it is frequently the case that said currentseX- ceed eight hundred kilowatts of energy, and the amount of possibleinjury or damage which might be done to persons or to the plant byreason of such short-circuiting of such currents cannot be overrated.Therefore conduit-sections which simply conform to the requirements ofline construction-that is to say, to contain the cables in the requiredplurality of ducts which are divided by partition-walls do not meet thespecific requirements of terminal sections, as there is not sufficientspace on the end faces of their partition-walls to admit shelves orother suitable supports for the cables led from the ducts and also toallow to each cable the space necessary to properly separate it from theother cables which are led from the same section.

By my invention provision is made for allowing to each one of aplurality of cables all the space which it may require for the be forespecified purposes. Shelves or other supports may be attached to the endfaces of all or any of the Walls of my improved terminal sections, andtherefore a plant equipped with the latter may confidently be consideredabsolutely safe and free from all danger from the short-circuiting ofcurrents caused by accidental contacts at the ends of said terminalsections. Incidentally also the partitionwalls of my improved terminalsections have a greater weight-sustaining capacity than that of thewalls of interposed or line sections if boththe former and the latter bemade of the same material, which preferably is vitrified c ay.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation in perspective of a part ofeach of two lines of conduits with terminal sections embodying myinvention and communicating with a manhole-chamber, a. part of thechamber-walls, shelves, cables, and other elements which do not form apart of my invention being also shown therein. Fig. 2 is a verticallongitudinal section of a terminal conduit-section which embodies a formof my invention and of a part of a contacting section. Fig. 3 isasimilar view to Fig. 2, but showing a structural modification; and Fig.4 is a vertical transverse section through the line b b, Fig. 2, lookingto the left.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same referencecharacters.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a terminal conduit-sectiontapered from end to end, the outer end being the thicker and having inthe form shown inclosing walls 1 1 and four ducts 2 2, which are formedlongitudinally of said section 1, the ducts 2 being separated bypartition-walls 2 2". A contacting section 3 has .inclosing walls 3 3and ducts 4c 4:, which are divided by partition-walls 4 4:, which, asshown herein, are located on planes parallel with the inner faces of thewalls 2 2 of the section 1, and, as shown herein, the ducts 2 and 4 aretransversely dimensionally equal, though the transverse dimensions ofthe ducts in the different sections may be varied to suit particularrequirements. The

angles formed by the several end faces and inner faces of the sections 1and 3, as shown herein, are beveled, as at 5, 5, 6, 6', 7, 7, and 7,respectively. The walls 2 and 2" are thicker than the walls 4 and 4E andlead to the latter by means of the beveled faces 6, 6', 7 and 7,respectively. In order to maintain the required transverse dimensionsfor the ducts 2 therefore, the inner faces 1 l of the inclosing walls 1lead directly from the plane, which, as the sections are shown herein,is horizontal, of the outer angles 7 of the ducts 4:.

In the modified'construction shown'in Fig. 3 the inner ends of each duct2 are in registry with the ducts 4 of the conduit-section, but divergeas they approach the outer end of the terminal section. They are alsoshown as increasing in area and with the outer walls as of uniformthickness, although these features may be varied at will.

The construction and advantages of my invention will be readilyunderstood by those skilled in the art to which it appertains. By

constructing terminal conduit-sections 1 with A thick partition-walls,such as 2 and 2, provision is made for attaching the shelves A (shown inFig. 1) to the end faces of said section, so that the cables B (alsoshown in Fig. 1) may be properly separated, as hereinbefore related. Theexternal form of my improved terminal sections is such that the lattermay be laid in masonry or otherwise in the same manner as the ordinarysections are laid, the facility of the operation being in no wiseimpaired by said form. It should be noted also that the particular formof the section 1 also peculiarly facilitates the connection with saidsection, as at the larger end face thereof, as shown in the drawings, ofseparate conduitsections for each several duct 2, this advantage beingdue to the greater thickness of the partition-walls 2 and 2 of saidsection 1, as it is evident that separate connecting-sections, which mayhave inclosing walls of a thickness quite equal to one-half of that ofthe partition-walls 2 and 2", may lead from the section 1 with theirrespective ducts in perfect registration with the ducts 2 2, thearrangement thus described being wholly impossible with separatesections which have walls of the relative thickness mentioned andwhichit may be desired to use to lead from sections-such, for instance,as the interposed or line section 3 shown herein, which may havepartitionwalls simply adapted to the specific requirements of interposedor line sections.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details ofconstruction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as itis manifest that variations and modifications may be made in thefeatures of construc tion and arrangement in the adaptation of thedevice to various conditions of use without departing from the spiritand scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore re- .serve theright to all such variation and modification as properly fall within thescope of my invention and the terms of the following claims. 7

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim and desire to secure byLetters Patent- 1. A terminal section for electrical conduits comprisinga section having a plurality of ducts therein each at their outer endsspaced farther from each other than the ducts of the conduit-sectionsemployed therewith and at their inner ends drawn inward to register withthe ducts of the conduit-sections,the relative arrangement of theduct-openings at the being farther removed from the center of thesection, the relative arrangement of the ductopenings at the ends ofsaid terminal section, with relation to the cross-sectional plane ofsaid section, being identical at each end of the section.

3. A multiple-duct terminal section for elec trical conduits having apartition between the ducts at the end designed to join with the conduitof substantially the same thickness as the partitions of theconduit-sections, said partitions at the outer end of the section beingof a greater thickness and the relative arrangement of the duct-openingsat the ends of said terminal section, with relation to thecrosssectional plane of said section, being identical at each end of thesection.

4:. A multiple-duct terminal section for electrical conduits having thepartitions between the ducts at one end of greater thickness than at theother and the relative arrangement of the duct-openings at the ends ofsaid terminal section, with relation to the cross-sectional plane ofsaid section, being identical at each end of the section.

5. A multiple-duct terminal section for electrical conduits having thepartitions between the ducts at one end of greater thickness than at theother end, the grouping of the ducts being alike at each end.

6. A multiple-duct terminal section for electrical conduits having theduct openings spaced farther from the center at the outer than at theinner ends thereof, the outer ends of said ducts being flaring orbell-mouthed and the relative arrangement of the duct-openings at theends of said terminal section, with relation to the cross-sectionalplane of said section, being identical at each end of the section.

7. As an improved article of manufacture, a terminal section forelectrical conduits, having a plurality of ducts extending therethrough,the position of the duct-openings at the front end of said section beingspread so that they are separated by a relatively wide partition forminga relatively wide surface area between the duct-openings, and theposition of the duct-openings at the rear end of said section beingcontracted with relation to the spread position at the front end so thatthey will register with the ducts of anormaladjoiningconduit-section,the relative arrange ment of the duct-openingsat the ends of said terminal section, with relation to thecrosssectional plane of said section, being identical at each end of thesection, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

8. As an improved article of manufacture, each end of the section,substantially as and 10 a terminal section for electrical conduits,havfor the purpose set forth.

ing a plurality of ducts extending there- In testimony whereoflhavesigned my name through and provided at its front end with a in thepresence of the subscribing witnesses. spread or extendedpartition-surface between the duct-openings, the relative arrangementROBERT LYLE of the duct-openings at the ends of said ter- Witnesses:

minal section, with relation to the cross-see W. J. BURKE,

tional plane of said section, being identical at CHAS. H. DAvIDs.

